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Crisis in Belarus

Kiev’s joining EU sanctions against Minsk won’t be left unanswered — top diplomat

According to the foreign minister, Belarus prepared sanctions against a number of Ukrainian officials

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey The press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey

© The press service of the Russian Foreign Ministry/TASS

MINSK, November 26. /TASS/. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makey has announced that the step taken by Ukraine to join the sanctions imposed by the European Union against Minsk is a non-independent move which will not be left unanswered.

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"We cannot but view this step as completely hostile and as an attempt to interfere in Belarusian domestic affairs. Ukraine’s joining the EU sanctions is another, as we see it, non-independent decision of Kiev which demonstrates that our southern neighbors are advancing inconsistent policies. To be honest, we consider this practically as mockery of common sense," Makey said Thursday as he summarized the results of the meeting of the Russian and Belarusian Foreign Ministries’ boards.

According to him, Ukraine "is trying to paint itself as an ideal in terms of respecting human rights and democracy." "Ukraine is not a paragon in human rights for us and cannot act as a mentor or teacher in this situation for Belarus," the minister stressed.

He added that Minsk had already drafted and would implement the relevant measures. According to the top diplomat, Belarus had prepared sanctions against a number of Ukrainian officials. "Initially, we also compiled a relevant sanction list against certain Ukrainian officials. <…> We will not leave any Ukrainian action aimed against the Belarusian state unanswered," Makey emphasized.

The foreign minister also noted that when Kiev says it cares about the betterment of the country or the people of Belarus, "it raises eyebrows." "They [Ukrainian authorities - TASS] said that they put all relations on hold, that there needs to be pressure for the true democracy, as they see it, to come. At the same time, they join the sanctions against Belarus. In other words, they help the people and the country through sanctions and toughening up cooperation. This is perverted logic, we categorically oppose this approach," the Belarusian minister pointed out.

Earlier, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell reported that seven EU partners, including Ukraine, had joined the union’s sanctions against Belarusian authorities imposed in light of election rigging and human rights violations, as Brussels put it.

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